Optical Splicing Goes Palmtop in World-Leading Furukawa Breakthrough

Furukawa Electric Co. Ltd - Japan has developed the world's most compact and easy to use Optical Fibre Fusion Splicer – a key development in the drive to make FTTH (Fibre To The Home) and LAN (Local Area Network) installations fast, simple and cost effective.

Furukawa's revolutionary S121A is a palmtop device weighing just 980g and comes complete with a camera-type case and shoulder strap.

Splicing is carried out at the press of a button and splices are completed in only 13 seconds. It can operate with either mains or battery power.

"The S121A is a stunning piece of technology which handles a complex task in a simple, flexible and time-efficient way," said David Jones, Head of Interconnectivity at London-based Furukawa Electric Europe Ltd (FEEL).

"It is a significant breakthrough in meeting the demands of the FTTH market and also in LAN installations, where previous splicing equipment was sometimes too bulky and difficult to operate with ease."

The S121A Fusion Splicer is just one-third the size of regular fusion splicers. Its T-shaped body enables splices to be made using a minimum excess fibre length when the head of the splicer is inserted into the enclosure, and at the same time allows the user to hold the fusion splicer in one hand when conducting operations in locations with limited working space.

It handles only single fibres. As in the case of previous models, the fibre is set in the holder and the unit executes all operations automatically, so that anyone can operate the unit with ease. An enlarged image of the fibre is displayed using a CCD camera and a 2.5 inch colour LCD monitor to provide the operator with a high quality representation of the fibre. It offers fast, fully automatic splicing in only 13 seconds – all the user needs to do is set the fibre in the holder and press a button. The operator can easily switch between single mode fibre and multi mode fibre by selecting a pre-set fusion programme.

The unit offers two power supplies – a removable, rechargeable battery and an optional DC adaptor to allow AC power. Furthermore, by attaching an optional sleeve heater or simple reinforcement tool to the back of the unit, the splice can be strengthened using thermal protection sleeves.

Furukawa Electric Co. Ltd Japan is one of the world's leading electronics and optical communications companies. Further information from David Jones on 0207 313 5311.